


Beyond the Milky Way

by livinglittlelie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drama, Forbidden Love, Galtean AU, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic, Tanabata AU, fairytale writing voice, kinda romeo and juliet -esque, klance fairy tale zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25095631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livinglittlelie/pseuds/livinglittlelie
Summary: Long ago, there were two families who ruled the night sky, the Alteans, gifted in the magic of the universe, and the other was the Galra, attuned to the shift of the galaxies. They separated by the Milky Way, a heavenly river splitting the sky in two.These two families were at war with each other, looking to rule the whole universe. But love knew not about wars, and the destinies of Lance, the Altean Prince, and Keith, a Galra dissident were bound together.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 51
Collections: Once Upon A Time: A Klance Fairy Tale Zine





	Beyond the Milky Way

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for the Klance Fairy Tale Zine! I had the pleasure to collab with ([ElleGee](https://twitter.com/ellegee2018) in a Tanabata AU with a sprinkle of Beauty and the Beast. Check them out and show them your love, too!

Long ago, there were two families who ruled the night sky. One of them was the Alteans, gifted in the magic of the universe, and the other was the Galra, attuned to the shift of the galaxies. They lived side to side only separated by the Milky Way, a heavenly river splitting the sky in two. However, instead of being content with the piece of the sky they belonged to, both families fought to rule the universe. Their fight dragged on for millennia, until the creatures of the sky knew of no life without war.

King Alfor ruled the Alteans. He’d protected his people against the Galra threat for centuries, and was known to be a fair and patient ruler. He was always ready to offer a hand to those in need, and was loved by his people.

Lance didn’t share their good opinion on the king.

As Alfor’s only son and twin brother to Princess Allura, he’d experienced first-hand the overprotectiveness of their ruler. Afraid of a Galran attack, Alfor isolated his son deep within the castle, only allowing Lance to spend his days by the Milky Way, weaving tapestries as beautiful as the flowing of Quintessence.

And Lance weaved and weaved to distract himself from his eternal boredom, thoughts flying to the stars blinking above him.

There had to be more to life than this. A life spent in the solitude of the Milky Way was no life at all, it was mere survival. He wanted more, to discover what was the purpose of his existence; surely he wasn’t destined to be a cloth weaver all his life, was he?

But as the tides changed, Lance’s life turned upside-down when he spotted a ratty boat heading ashore, rocking lightly with the waves. He dropped the half-finished tapestry and rushed to the boat, immediately noticing the deep gashes and burns marring the wood of the hull.

As he got closer, he saw something in the boat. Lance peeked inside, only to immediately duck down, eyes wide. He might’ve never seen one of his kind before, but he knew enough to recognize what he was.

Galra.

He rose again, hiding half of his face behind the side of the boat. The Galra was out cold; his clothes were ruined and there was a gash in his forehead, staining his pale violet skin with deep red. Reaching out, Lance poked him hesitantly. No reaction.

Letting out a long breath, Lance sat down with his back against the boat, conflicted. He knew Galra were the enemy, but it wasn’t like he could let someone die in front of him.

When he heard the pained moan coming from the Galra’s mouth, he made up his mind. Lance pulled the Galra up, grunting in exertion, and dragged him to a secluded cave by the water. He lowered him carefully, covering him with the cloths he’d just weaved. Taking a deep breath, Lance placed his hand on the stranger’s forehead and let his Quintessence out, his body marks shining as he let the ancient power flow through him.

The Galra groaned and blinked his eyes open. He made to stand, but Lance stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy there. My Quintessence is good, but it’s not magic.”

The Galra regarded him in confusion before flinching. “You’re… you’re an Altean.”

“What tipped you off?” He teased. “The name’s Lance. And you are?”

“Keith,” he answered reluctantly.

“Nice to meet you, Keith.” Lance relaxed his stance, looking at him in curiosity. “Now, how did you end up unconscious in Altean territory?”

He averted his eyes, uncomfortable. “…It’s a long story.”

“Well, seeing as you won’t be able to move without screaming in pain for a while, why don’t you start from the beginning? The more you talk, the more I’ll use my Quintessence to heal you. Deal?”

Keith narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Lance didn’t take it personally.

“And why would you want to help me?”

Lance let out a humorless snort. “Because I’m _terribly_ bored and you’re the most interesting thing that’s happened in my life. And… I wouldn’t feel good about myself if I just left you there.”

Keith studied him for a while until he relaxed, closing his eyes. “Alright, I’ll talk. I’m in your care, Lance.”

From then on, Lance spent his waking hours beside Keith, tending his wounds and encouraging him to talk. Keith confessed belonging to the Blade of Marmora, a secret coalition fighting against the Galra leader to bring peace to the night sky. His cat-like ears perked up in interest whenever he saw Lance weaving cloths, and he held the robes as if they were made of stained glass. He was outraged when he learned Lance was cut from his freedom, and promised to help him reach out to the stars.

Keith was impulsive, prone to anger, surprisingly oblivious and funny, and Lance couldn’t help but fall irrevocably in love with him.

His lips were cool the first time they kissed, and his smile put the stars around them to shame. His hands left a warm trail in Lance’s skin, and the deep rumble of his voice made Lance feel at peace. So lost in each other as they were, they forgot the war around them. They were careless in their love, and people grew suspicious.

One day, a maid appointed by Alfor followed Lance in secret. She saw him reach the hidden cave and pull Keith out of hiding, loving smiles on their faces. The maid informed the King, who stormed into the garden as if he was ready to face a Galra fleet by himself. He’d dragged a struggling Keith to gaol, ignoring Lance’s cries of protest, and by the dawn of the next day, Keith was onboard a boat crossing the Milky Way to never return.

The guards grabbed Lance before he could throw himself to the deep waters after him.

Furious, Lance spent the next few days in the throne room, demanding an explanation. Alfor listened patiently to Lance’s pleas, but every one of them was met with a negative.

“He’s a _Galra_ ,” Alfor said, as if that was enough of an explanation. “We’re at war, Lance. It’s time you realize your role in it.”

“How am I supposed to do that if I can’t leave this _quiznaking_ palace?”

Lance turned around and stormed out of the throne room, unhearing Alfor’s stern schooling. Once in the back garden, he sat by the riverside, grasping the clothes he’d weaved the day before. The once vibrant colours had dulled, like the once bright world around him.

Burying his face in the clothes, Lance let himself cry.

* * *

Princess Allura loved her brother dearly. He’d always been there for her whenever she’d felt the weight of the universe stifling her, cheering her up with a quick smile and witty comments. He’d drape her in the clothes he loved to weave, smiling softly before hugging her tight. He was innocent, charming, and loving, and she wouldn’t change a thing about him.

But that Lance disappeared when Father discovered the Galra he’d been hiding in the castle.

What once were easy smiles and bright eyes turned to downcast gazes and miserable expressions. The shining lint always sticking to his clothes disappeared when he stopped weaving, deep in his sorrow. Instead, Lance spent his days sitting alone by the river, watching its waters ripple in the starlight.

Allura had known Lance had been hiding something, but she’d been reluctant to ask. She was afraid that the cheerful bubble he’d been in would burst if she probed for information. She’d never seen him look so happy before, and she’d wanted it to last.

When the truth was brought out into the open and Lance retracted to the depths of his own mind, Allura sought audience with Alfor. She begged him to let Lance live the life he desired, but their stubborn, overprotective father ignored her. She tried again, but Father refused to talk about it, saying he wouldn’t change his mind.

And so Allura took the matter into her own hands.

Every year, for Tanabata, the waters of the Milky Way became as still as a mirror, and the stars would shine brighter than ever. That day, Alfor and his trusted counsellors left the castle to guard the Milky Way, making sure no Galra sneaked into their half of the sky to invade. That left Allura and Lance alone in a too-big castle.

As soon as Alfor left, Allura went to Lance’s garden. Her heart shattered when she found him, surrounded by threads that would never be weaved. His eyes never wavered from the Milky way, trying to find who he held dear in his heart.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Lance.”

“What do you want, Allura?” he asked, shaking off her hold. “I told you I wanted to be alone.”

“I came to tell you that Father has left the castle for Tanabata.”

He let out a humourless laugh. “Lucky him. At least one of us can leave this wretched castle.”

“What if I told you that you can leave, as well?”

“How? It’s not like the guards will ever let me, and even if I managed to sneak out, the Milky Way’s surrounding the castle. What am I supposed to do, swim across it? I know I told you I was an Olympic swimmer when we were little, but we both know I was lying.”

“Who said anything about swimming?” she said lightly. Lance looked at her, and Allura finally let her excitement show. “I know your Quintessence element is water, but mine? Mine’s air.”

Before Lance could answer, Allura let her Quintessence flow through her. Soon enough, a flock of magpies flew towards them, softly landing on the grass. Lance looked at them, flabbergasted, then at Allura.

“What are you doing?”

“My magpies will help you cross the Milky Way.”

“But, why?”

Allura let out a sigh. “To be honest, I don’t agree with the confinement Father puts you through. You ought to experience life as it is, instead of being enclosed in this garden for the rest of your days.” She kneeled down and took his hand. “You’re miserable here, Lance. And even if I’m unwilling to admit it, that Galra made you happier than I’ve ever seen you. So, if being with him brings you happiness, I’ll help you fight for it.”

Lance’s lower lip trembled in emotion before he threw himself into her arms, hugging her close. “Thank you, Allura. It means the universe to me.”

“ _You_ mean the universe to me.” She squeezed him before putting some space between them. “You will still need to come back home before Father does, but I promise I’ll help you sneak out every year for Tanabata.”

“It suffices. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome. Now, go!”

He stood up and let the magpies surround him. Soon enough, his feet rose from the floor and, waving one last time to his sister, Lance’s body was carried over the Milky Way. His eyes shone with the stars, his laugh becoming one with the universe.

He could spot Keith in the distance, eyes fixed on the still waters. His downcasted ears perked up as soon as Lance called his name, his expression lighting up like a thousand suns. Lance’s face split in a wide grin, and even before the magpies dropped him in the arms of his beloved, he was already welcoming him in a hug.

“Lance?” Keith put some space between them, brushing Lance’s tousled hair from his face. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for you, love. Now, let’s go fly through the stars, shall we?”

Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and they ran, giggles of elation left in their wake.

From then on, every year for Tanabata, the waters of the Milky Way stay still as a mirror, and the stars of the cosmos shine with their brightest light. And among them all, two stars finally meet, and hand in hand, they dance across the night sky.


End file.
